


Ravenous Pulse

by aries_antagonist



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: AU, Depression, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rainy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:07:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28627014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aries_antagonist/pseuds/aries_antagonist
Summary: There’s a beat in the land, at the heart of the forest, under the fog, reverberating in the blue eyes of a stranger. Sasuke just doesn’t know how to listen for it yet.WIP, updated weekly :)SasuNaru, Various POV
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto/Other(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 14





	1. The Low Thrum

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I know, here I am- starting *another* WIP slow-burn *Winces*.
> 
> But this one is much softer, and I hope is gonna balance out the rough darkness of This is the Brilliance. This is also my fic where I can process all of my own deep depression and difficulties living in a place with no sun through my all-time favorite sad/anger boy. 
> 
> 1st) Yes Naruto’s dog is named after Leeloo Dallas. 
> 
> 2nd) This first chapter is dedicated to @freakontour for being so amazing! Their comments and feedback keeps me going :)
> 
> Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments. 
> 
> PS: I don’t know how many readers of mine are a) not white and b)in the states but this is a good way for me to briefly check tf out of the crazy shit happening in my country right now. What a shit show, as usual.

XxX

The Low Thrum

* * *

Sasuke was bent low over his knees, breathing a little heavily after his morning run through the forest when he felt it for the first time. It was faint, just the echo of a vibration over his own exerted heartbeat- but it was **there**.

More like a ripple than a wave. The low thrum.

* * *

Iruka slowed the car at the base of the drive, squinting up at the pine trees that swathed the property. He rolled the window down to check in on his companion. 

“Seems awfully isolated out here, but this is definitely the right address. You sure about this?” Iruka asked, finally looking back at the man who’d driven behind him.

The golden haired man in the driver’s seat of the blaze-orange coupe was grinning so hard he couldn’t even respond, instead settling for a fast nod of his head. 

Iruka chuckled and pulled the rest of the way into the drive. Before he could even put his own car into park, Naruto was sprinting up to the driver’s side door. He wasn’t sure who was more excitable- the 27 year old before him or the man’s giant pitbull who hovered closely behind. 

Iruka unlocked the door and let himself be pulled out of the vehicle by Naruto’s firm grip, amused at his long-time friend’s exuberance. The air was crisp and the chill of fall bit at his fingertips.

“Irukkkaaa, c’mon, I wanna see the rest of the property!” Naruto begged with all the patience of a toddler in line at a theme park, dragging the brunette along towards the faded wooden structure. 

It was truly a sight, or at least Iruka thought it was from what he could make out in the blur, rushing to keep up with his friend. They passed several small two-story buildings in a row, all with the same clay shingles and wide windows, before abruptly stopping. Iruka followed Naruto’s gaze up to the building marked “4”. 

Smoke poured softly from the chimney.

“This is the one, ‘Ruka! This is mine!” Naruto called from half-way up the steps, his dog steadfastly trailing behind him. 

“I’m coming up,” he said, shaking his head.

Naruto peered over the edge of the balcony at him with wide eyes, before dropping his bag and darting inside the unlocked door.

“Oh! Hi! I must have the wrong number…” Naruto raised his hand sheepishly to rub the back of his neck, fumbling at the paper he had written his new address on.

Iruka turned the corner and saw who the blonde was apologizing to. A man about his own age, bent over and adding another log to the fireplace. Iruka swallowed when the man stood and locked dark eyes with his own.

“No, no- I just wanted to make sure you had a warm place to come home to for the first time. My apologies, I thought I’d be done by the time you arrived. I’m Kakashi Hatake, new owner of the Meridien,” the slouched yet polite man finally moved his gaze from him to Naruto and Iruka let out a small breath. “You must be Naruto, I recognize your...energy from our phone conversation. I didn’t realize there would be two occupants for this unit?” 

“Ha! I wish!” Naruto reached out his hand to grasp Kakashi’s, “I just roped Iruka into helping me move.”

“Ah, I see. A shame,” Kakashi drawled, breaking the handshake and moving a grey hair that had fallen into his eyes. “Allow me to show you around since I’m here.” 

Iruka followed as the man showed them around the surprisingly large one-bedroom unit. The fire was already effectively brightening the empty space. 

After they were back out on the front patio, Kakashi added, “So your unit shares the floor with a vacant unit that I have guests in from time to time, and below you are two other units. Both of those have occupants around your age, Naruto- I hope you’ll find them to be pleasant neighbors.” 

Iruka watched as the grey-haired man squatted to ruffle the fur on the dog’s head before looking back up at Naruto. 

“Rent can just be tucked under my door at your convenience, there are no late fees. And if you need me for anything else, don’t. I employ a caretaker who resides in the building behind this one, unit “7”. He is available for any maintenance or emergency requests.” 

Kakashi bowed his head slightly at Naruto before letting his gaze linger briefly on Iruka, “It was a pleasure meeting you…” 

“Iruka, and the pleasure was mine,” he replied, fighting the blush that rose to his cheeks. 

He watched as Kakashi lazily descended the stairs, stopping momentarily to examine a chip in the wooden hand-railing. 

A cough behind him pulled him from his thoughts.

“Can you not try and bang my new landlo-“ 

Iruka swatted at the cackling man, causing the pitbull to let out a playful bark as the blonde evaded his attack. 

* * *

The evening faded into a gradient of cool purples and the wind wound through the cabins at a languid pace. The pair had just hauled the last of Naruto’s boxes from their respective vehicles into the apartment and sat side-by-side at the top of the stairs. 

Naruto handed an uncapped beer to Iruka, watching as the pony-tailed man beside him pulled his jacket around him tighter. 

“I really appreciate you helping me out today,” he said, taking a small sip from his own bottle. 

Iruka leaned forward onto his knees, gazing out into the pines again. “I know I already said this yesterday, but I’m proud of you for doing this for yourself.”

Naruto felt his smile broaden and leaned his shoulder into Iruka.

“I’m serious,” he continued, a little quieter now, “You’ve had a really hard year and even though I wish there was a way to...well, even though you’ve had a rough time, I’m glad that being out here is gonna give you some space to figure things out.”

Naruto whined, changing the subject, “I’m gonna miss you guys! I really wish you’d consider transferring out here too. It would be so much fun…” he trailed off, waggling his eyebrows at an unconvinced Iruka. 

“No way, this is too quiet for me. Plus, the kids back in Konoha’s center can’t have all of us leave them behind at once,” the brunette replied, glancing at Naruto. He wasn’t gonna press the subject if Naruto wasn’t ready to talk about it.

He leaned back onto his palms and let his head fall back, taking in the stars beginning to emerge. “But damn if it isn’t beautiful. I can’t believe this is only a half-hour from the city. Leeloo’s gonna love all the space to run around,” he added, fondly referring to Naruto’s giant dog. 

“Awh yeah, I can’t wait to explore with her tomorrow, maybe we’ll go on one of the trails.” Naruto spoke through his yawn, the long-day finally catching up to him.

They sat in a comfortable silence, the warm glow from the porch light washing over their tired bodies. In the distance, ambient sounds of dishes being washed and a car crunching over gravel in the small parking lot blended together. 

A short-while later and a little bit warmer thanks to the alcohol, Iruka stood. He left behind the half-full beer on the steps, and Naruto followed him down to the parking lot. 

“You good to drive back? It’s like two hours-“

“Naruto, it was half a beer at most, and I know, I drove from Konoha with you this morning- remember?” Iruka laughed softly, opening his arms. Naruto dove headfirst into them, suddenly feeling the rush of emotions he had been avoiding all day. 

“You’ll come visit again soon?” Naruto spoke into his friend’s chest, holding him a little tighter. 

Iruka patted his back softly, “As soon as I can, and I’ll get the kids to write you some letters.”

Naruto turned his face, wiped off a stray tear onto Iruka’s denim jacket before pulling away slowly. 

“I’ll make sure Kakas-“ he cut himself off with the glare Iruka sent him, unable to stifle his laughter. “Seriously, come visit soon. And drive safe! I can’t seem to find a cell signal out here so I can’t ask you to text me.”

Iruka just patted his arm a final time, his smile warm, and stepped into the drivers seat. 

Naruto watched his friend, and now ex-coworker, leave down the gravel drive slowly. 

He adjusted the beanie lower over his chilled ears as he turned back towards the cabins, taking in the finality of his decision. He had just left everything he knew behind. How terrifying and simultaneously exhilarating, he thought. 

“I hope I can meet my neighbors soon,” he whispered to himself as he shoved his hands in his pockets and rounded the corner.

* * *

He woke a few hours later, just after the last ember in the fireplace crackled a warm farewell. It had sufficiently heated the house earlier and consequently lulled Naruto into a slightly-too-hot-post-beer nap on the floor. 

“Oh, Lee- stop,” gently pushing the dog’s face away. She had an endearing but annoying habit of licking his face whenever it was in reach of her own. 

He sat up and looked around his still barren space, grinning. When he had asked for the transfer from New Path’s for Youth in Konoha to the center in Ridgethorn, he had given himself a week gap in between to get settled in- at Iruka’s insistence, of course. Naruto wasn’t known for his foresight in matters like this, and was grateful for the man’s grounding presence in his life up until this point.

What am I gonna do without him, Naruto thought. Iruka had quickly become something like an older brother to him when he started working at New Path’s four years ago.

Naruto had received help from the center when he himself was houseless at a young age, and had eagerly said yes to the position when it was offered to him. Iruka and a few others had been kind enough to show him the ropes, helping him navigate the city's loopholes in order to get the kids they cared for all of the amenities they could. 

That help had grown into a fast friendship, and Naruto was sore to leave them after all the time they had spent together.

He hoped he could make his apartment a place his friend’s back home would like to come visit. Suddenly getting a second wind at the thought, he bounded over to the pile over boxes in the corner. 

Leeloo came sniffing behind him at the boxes and Naruto’s hand found the top of her head.

“Oh, you’re probably thirsty,” he realized, pulling a box from the bottom. 

Why hadn’t he taken Iruka’s advice to label them, he scolded internally.

“I think it’s in this one…” he halted when he saw the mess of tape holding the maybe-box of dog supplies together. 

“Ah, shoot- left my pocket knife in the car,” he muttered, digging in his pockets for the keys. He stepped out onto the porch and slid into his boots, not bothering to lace them.

He, of course, immediately regretted that as turned the corner of the building and tripped over one of the laces. He brought his eyes up just in time to see the person he was about to send sprawling.

“Agh-“ the person he had barreled into sputtered before landing underneath him. 

Naruto rolled off quickly, “Ah shit! I’m so sorry I didn’-“

His victim stood slowly, brushing dirt off the back of his dark jeans, not bothering to help Naruto up.

“Look where you’re fucking going,” the man bit out, his voice low. Naruto took in the man from his place on the ground. The guy was tall, muscled, pale… and seething. He scrambled to his feet, rubbing at the surely-forming bruise on his forearm. 

“Seriously, my bad! I just tripped and..” he let his words die in the air, the man had already turned and walked away. “Okay fine, asshole, it was an accident.”

Great start, he thought to himself, wondering which neighbor he had just successfully pissed off. He bent to quickly knot his laces before setting off again towards his car.


	2. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! 
> 
> Beware: slightly OOC Genma, but I really love the stoner dynamic he gets here. Marijuana is legal and popular where I live (I’m pretty sober myself these days), so I apologize if it’s not super commonly used where you’re reading from.
> 
> My depression has kicked it into overdrive recently, so I apologize if I’m late on chapters coming up. I’m trying my best to keep up with a schedule for myself and for the sake of the story, but it feels like this is gonna get worse before the wave ends.
> 
> I’d love to interact with more of y’all over on my tumblr! It’s @ariesantagonist without the underscore over there. Plus, I’m getting back into illustrating so might draw some character sketches from my stories.
> 
> Anyways! Sorry for rambling. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Chapter 2

Haunted

He sighed, resigned to the unshakeable companion he had picked up the week before. The tiny black cat mewled as if to respond and twisted through his legs. He shooed at it lightly with his foot, but it wouldn't take the hint, trotting along the small dirt path alongside him.

Taking care to not squash the small, wily creature, he made his way back from the creek, in each hand a bucket of water. There was a hose on the property, but untangling the damn thing often took more time than just fetching water himself. 

The days felt shorter now that the fog had finally rolled in for the season, a blessing in his eyes. The forest bloomed while the rest of the sleepy town fell into the lull that marked winters in the area. Moss that’d hung limply from trees during the rest of the year now sat plump and low on the massive pines. He ducked under a low branch, waiting for the cat to run ahead.

Sasuke was gradually adjusting to his new, painfully slow, life. 

He couldn’t be sure how long exactly had gone by since he’d moved to the Meridien- but it had been long enough that he’d finally replaced his button-ups and slacks with tank-tops and Carharrt jackets. He kept a few for when his hawk of a brother came to visit, not willing to subject himself to his siblings mocking gaze. 

The job was pretty straightforward, though he wished that he only had to work with plants. The maintenance aspect wasn’t all that bad either, it was just having to talk to people that he could do without. He had gone his whole life in the spotlight without having to socialize with as many people as he did now. 

He tried not to think of the before, though, since it was unclear if he’d ever be able to return to it.

He glanced upwards through the dampened needles and gauged the remaining filtered light. With about an hour left of daylight, he guessed, he lengthened his gait towards the garden.

The cat mewled as they approached the greenhouse. It was his last task of the day, the outdoor vegetable beds already thoroughly watered from yesterdays’ rain.

“I’m not gonna feed you,” he mumbled as he opened the door. It ignored him with a purr, and slipped by.

The humidity inside the greenhouse was a welcome warmth for his naturally cool body. Droplets collected along his forearms as he bent low to check on the peppers, pruning some of the longer stems. 

Sasuke fell into an easy rhythm and let his mind blank as he worked through the rows, the drone of the fan a peaceful hum. He almost enjoyed this part of it, the routine. Bend, inspect the tomato, pluck, onto the next. 

The vegetables were a very small part of the Meridien’s income, and certainly didn’t turn a profit, but they sold enough to cover the cost of repairs for the older buildings.

Sasuke was glad for it, it’s not like he needed the money. Just a place where his family could hide him away when- 

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knocking at the greenhouse door. He couldn’t make out the silhouette behind the glass, but it didn’t matter- he didn’t want to talk to anyone.

“I’m busy,” he said as he turned back to his task.

“Um, Mr. Uchiha?” The intruder spoke softly, almost timid. “You said to only get you if there’s an emergency...and um...well, I think this counts…”

A louder voice joined, “Hey, man this is literally your job!” 

He pushed a coal-black strand of hair from his face, standing with a scowl. 

Sasuke shoved the door open causing the two intruders to jump back from where they had been leaning on it. 

“Something better be on fire,” he remarked, pulling off his gloves and dropping them, perhaps a little dramatically, in the mud. 

The louder voice belonged to a lanky, tired looking brunette man with sharp eyes. Genma. Sasuke recognized him from the various “maintenance” requests the idiot had come knocking on his door about. Genma blamed the false alarms on the cabins being haunted, Sasuke suspected it more likely was the copious amount of weed being smoked in the man’s two-bedroom. 

“We can do you one better, the ghost flooded the new guy’s kitchen.”

If it wasn’t so starkly out of character, Sasuke would have face palmed. As it was, he just gestured for the stoner to lead him to the chaos.

“I’m sorry for bothering you…” the small pale girl whispered, falling into a step behind the two. 

“Hinata, stick up for yourself, lady. Don’t let the grouchy repair guy intimidate you,” Genma called loftily behind him as they walked quickly towards building 4. 

The tall brunette suddenly stopped with a quiet curse and glanced nervously back at Sasuke, “It, uh, got worse.”

Sasuke looked up. Water was cascading over the wooden balcony onto the already sodden ground. The front door to the apartment in question was wide open. He moved past a gawking Genma with his shoulder and sprinted up the stairs. 

He heard shouting coming from inside… and barking? 

“Leeloo, NO! That’s NOT HELPING!”, a bright voice shrieked, accompanied by the sound of a low growl and splashing.

The water flowed past his already soaked boots as he stomped his way towards the source. Scratch that, he thought, I might not need the money but I sure as hell do not get paid enough for this shit. He turned the corner into the kitch-

“YOU!” A tall, utterly soaked, blonde man shouted at him with an accusatory finger. Said man was bent forward, the hand not rudely pointing at him firmly pressed to the tap. His black, fitted shirt was riding up, leaving a gap of tanned, muscled skin before his boxers started- because of course, he also wasn’t wearing pants. A beefy reddish-brown coated dog nipped playfully at the man’s bare legs. 

“What in the fuck is going on here?” Sasuke didn’t even know where to start with the scene.

“You! You’re the guy I tackled yesterday!” he said, gesturing wildly with both arms, and incidentally releasing the palm that was stopping the spray. Water gushed from the sink head with the release of pressure and Sasuke lunged forward to try and stop it from continuing. 

“Oh shit- On accident of course!”

“So you’re even more of an idiot than I gathered.” Sasuke bit out, his own shirt getting sprayed as he got closer to the sink head. Behind him the pitbull danced wildly, yipping in excitement with the chaos. “Can you do something fucking useful and get a towel so I can stop the flow for a minute?” 

“Yeah, jeez no need to…” the blonde man's voice faded as he turned away. 

When he returned with a towel at a _leisurely pace_ , he noted, Sasuke raised his free hand to catch it. The trajectory was off, it was clearly thrown overhand and it hit his face. He instinctively let go of the sink head to grab the towel before it hit the floor. 

He let out a garbled yell as he was instantly soaked. He begrudgingly turned back to wrap the towel around the sink head, tying it off in a temporary fix with a spare elastic from his wrist. 

The man behind him was wheezing with painful laughter, and he felt his blood boil. 

“Do you think this is fucking fu-“

“You! Holy sh-” the idiot struggled to catch a breath. “You look- oh my go-,” he gave up and bent forward as tears mixed with the water dripping from his face. 

“That’s it, fix it your damn self.” Despite the water dripping from _everywhere_ , he was **hot**. He couldn’t fight a tenant but damn if this man wasn’t making it difficult. It took all he had to not swing at the idiot making fun of him right now.

He could normally control his emotions much better than this. What the hell.

Sasuke wiped his eyes clear of the spray and stomped through the mess back towards the front door.

“No wait!” 

He heard splashing from behind him.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” the man said from the kitchen entryway. When Sasuke turned back, he saw the pained expression on the man's tan face- as if he was still struggling to hold back laughter. “Please,” Sasuke watched the idiots mouth twitch before he resumed, “help me shut off the water.”

He quirked a brow before scoffing, still seething but able to tame his face into something resembling professionally-blank. 

“I seriously don’t know what I did, it just started spray-“

Sasuke strode out of the front door and shut it behind him, water still oozing from under the wood.

He jogged around to the small structure where the water and heat controls were, and shut off the valve for building 4. He grabbed his small bag of tools on the way out.

“Hey man- does this mean I can’t take a bath later?’ Called a lazy voice from the front of the building. Genma was just sitting in a puddle on the stairs, a lit joint in his hand. Beside him sat his roommate, Sasuke couldn’t remember the name of, and didn’t particularly care to. 

“Heh, we can just ask the new guy if we can swim around his apartment,” supplied the nameless roommate dryly, effectively shredding the last thread holding Sasuke’s anger back. He stormed right in between the two and up the steps, ignoring their protests as he roughly nudged them out of the way.

He pushed the front door open without knocking and made his way back over to the kitchen.

The blonde man was on his hands and knees in an inch of water, peering under the sink when he turned the corner. He looked up at Sasuke’s entry, “I have no idea what’s wrong down here, what a confusi- Oh! My name’s Naruto, by the way. Thanks for-“

“I do not,” Sasuke spat, “give a fuck what your name is. I want to be done with this as soon as possible. Now move so I can fix whatever mess you made.”

“Oi!” The man sputtered indignantly, standing abruptly and knocking into the curious dog at his side. “I just turned on the water, and what is your **problem?!”**

Sasuke pulled his hair back into a short ponytail as he bent forward to peer under the sink, trying to slow his heart rate and **breathe** so he didn’t throttle this idiot. 

“Shut up, and hand me the wrench in my bag.” He didn’t bother turning, just held his palm out behind him. 

He made quick work of the issue, a simple fix now after the months he had spent fumbling around with understanding the ancient plumbing of the property. 

With the coupling finally back in place, he raised his head carefully and stood, ignoring the huffing blonde still standing there with his arms crossed. He grabbed his bag back from the man and turned away. 

In the doorway for what he hoped was the final time, he finally addressed the blonde, “There’s a shop-vac in the community closet. The emergency has been taken care of, so you can get rid of the rest of the standing water. I’ll turn the water back on for the building in an hour.” 

“Wait, asshole! Where is the comm-“

Sasuke cut him off with a pointed slam of the man’s own door, leaving it to the idiot to figure that out for himself. 

* * *

  
  
  


It was days later before Naruto finally got the last puddle from his apartment. The whole place had the distinctive smell of mold beginning to grow. 

“Ugh! Leeloo, add a dehumidifier to the list of things to buy…” he said, and the dog just tilted her head in confusion. Naruto didn’t know when he had started talking aloud to the pitbull as if she was human, but it was oddly calming. 

Despite it being the third day of straight over-cast drizzle, his _damp_ apartment, and his still-fizzling frustration at his last interaction with the maintenance man; Naruto was feeling optimistic. 

In his search for the shop-vac the other day, he had stumbled upon an old, apparently forgotten, community game room on the property. It was just behind the last of the large cabins and it was huge. There was an old billiards table and several plastic-covered couches laying in wait to be used again. 

Naruto loved a good project. He wasn’t sure what that said about himself, but he did know that he had always wanted a large group of friends growing up, and so anything that fostered community was something he was committed 100% to. 

And this sleepy little community could certainly use a game room, he thought. _Maybe I can enlist some help from my neighbors…_

The bubbling of water hitting the stovetop pulled him from his daydreaming and he jogged back to the kitchen. 

“Don’t want that asshole having to come back here because the fire alarm went off, huh Leeloo,” he said, not actually expecting a reply. 

He knew this ramen recipe by heart, but he almost wished he was making something that wasn’t muscle memory by now. Every time he let his brain wander recently it kept circling back to how _infuriating_ the on-site repair guy had been.

Adding the chopped shiitakes and hearty amount of sesame oil, he turned the pot up to a simmer. 

“It’s like...I didn’t _flood my apartment_ on purpose!” He stirred the bubbling liquid, tossing in the white miso paste. “And he’s just so **smug** , like he’s too good for his- AGH, why work as a maintenance guy if you hate it so much?!” 

Leeloo whined softly, and Naruto realized he had been nearly shouting in frustration. He didn’t know what it was about the guy that had irked him so much. 

Naruto patted her head in apology and shook his own wild head of hair, as if to free himself from his train of thought. 

He was just about to dunk the noodles into the broth when he heard a knock at the front door. 

Leeloo beat him to the door and he had to nudge her out of the way to get to it, wiping his hands on his “ _Don’t Kiss The Cook: He Bites_ ” apron (a birthday gift from his coworkers last year). 

“Hey man, we were just downstairs- uh, oh I mean we’re your neighbors!” The taller of the two men at his door said. Both looked as if they had just woken from a long nap and smelled like something strong, but not bad...Naruto couldn’t really place it. 

Naruto recognized the taller one, “Oh! Yeah you were the person who found the maintenance guy the other day! Thanks again for that! What’s your name?”

“Genma, and this is my roommate Shikamaru,” the taller man put his arm around the other, pulling him forward. Shikamaru nodded a lazy greeting, somehow managing to literally only move his chin. “Whatever you’re cooking smells really fucking good.” 

“Oh! I made plenty, you hungry?” Naruto offered.

He had never seen a face light up quite as eagerly as Genma’s did right then, Naruto wondered if that’s what he himself looked like when he got excited. Shikamaru’s eyes simply widened slightly- but it was enough. He beckoned them inside with a laugh, shutting the door to the cool afternoon air.

Naruto suddenly felt a little sheepish- he wasn’t technically unpacked yet, and wasn’t sure if he had enough bowls for everyone. In his slight nervousness, he began rambling, “I’ve never really been able to cook for just one person, you know? Even though I probably should have figured that out by now…” 

He realized with a turn of his head that neither of them gave a fuck. It finally registered that the smell on them was weed. 

They were both baked, and both currently _enamored_ with his ham of a dog. She was rolling around on the floor to the absolute delight of the tall, half-lidded grown man. Genma was right alongside her, making himself comfortable on the floor. Shikamaru sidled into one of the two chairs Naruto had, arranging it backwards to lean his arms against the backrest. 

“It’s kind of a mix of _Tonkatsu_ and _Miso_ ramen, I hope that’s okay,” ladling broth over the noodles in two large bowls (and one lidless Tupperware container for himself).

“Naruto, man, I would eat Flaming Hot Cheeto ramen if you handed it to me right now.” Genma called from his spot on the floor, not taking his eyes off the purring pitbull. “Wait, actually that’s genius…” Genma adjusted the toothpick in his mouth as he pondered his own future culinary masterpiece.

“Uh, yeah! We can totally make that next time...don’t know if I’ve had a Flaming Hot Cheeto before.” Naruto set a bowl in front of each of them, shooing Leeloo away with his foot. 

“What! Blasphemous, I’ll bring you some,” Genma offered, digging in his cardigan pockets exaggeratedly before producing a joint, “You wanna smoke some?”

“Nah, thank you. I don’t really smoke much, and I was gonna go into the city later for a final trip for house shit. But feel free if you wanna.”

They all said their thanks for the meal before falling into a surprisingly easy silence, the sounds of noodles being slurped falling into a soft sequence with the patter of rain. He watched as Genma sneakily tried to feed Leeloo a piece of the pork belly, the man’s face wide in awe at speed in which she gulped it down.

Though he didn’t know the two at all, Naruto felt...cozy. He hadn’t even really had an opportunity to spend time with Iruka like this when he was living in Konoha, and it just felt right. Maybe they were just here for the food, but it didn’t matter.

Having people in his space, the comfort of just knowing other people were living their lives around you, he had always wanted something like this. 

“Oh hey, meant to ask. We,” Genma gestured at Shikamaru with his chopsticks, “saw you over at the clubhouse the other day.”

Naruto tilted his bowl back and finished the broth, wiping at his mouth before responding, “Yeah! I was hoping to fix it up and-“

Shikamaru finally spoke, “Genma thinks it’s haunted.”

“What?!” 

Genma nodded solemnly, sliding his empty bowl over to the begging pitbull who licked it clean. “Yeah, same ghost that flooded your apartment hangs out in there. She makes the lights flicker in our place when she’s feeling upset.”

Naruto felt chills run up his neck. “No! No way, it’s gonna be so nice! Don’t tell me that! There’s a pool table in there!” 

Genma leveled him with what would have been an ominous gaze, had his eyes not been rimmed with red, “Ghosts can play pool too, man.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. An Unwelcome Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I have not been hitting my writing speed goals. I apologize! I missed y’all! 
> 
> I think I was overthinking everything. There’s so much I want to put into this story, so I’m gonna take less of a critical approach and just let myself type. I too easily can make myself feel like things have to be perfect all the time, which makes it so no one ever gets an update haha.
> 
> Some broody Sasuke ahead! This scene doesn’t go very far and limited Naruto and Sasuke time- but next chapter we’ll see them interact more! Plus next chapter we’ll meet a bunch of the other tenants, I think! 
> 
> <3

Chapter 3

_An Unwelcome Light_

He made the mistake of gasping for breath. As his lungs filled with water, he watched helplessly as those last bubbles of oxygen floated towards the bright yellow surface. He knew he should follow them. 

“Swim!” He screamed at his body. But it was numb, and he was sinking. 

Sinking. He felt weightless and infinitely heavy at the same time. The water? If it was water, warm around his body.

The gradient would have been beautiful in any other circumstance, the midday sun glistening off the far-away surface, fading into an inky gray. His body shaded by the blue grey as he sank heavy towards the bottom. 

He opened his mouth to shout for anything at all, replacing the water in his chest with newer, saltier. He watched the surface ripple and began to feel resigned. Peaceful, almost. 

Boom!

“Huh?” He managed to wonder, through the haze. What in these depths could be making such a bang? 

Boom! Boom! 

Twice this time. If he hadn’t already given into his fate, drifting colder towards whatever lay at the dark pit below, he might have been-

BOOM!

“Sasuke! You dead in there?That would be very unfortunate for both of us,but honestly mostly me since hired you so I _didn’t_ have to clean...” a voice echoed.

Sasuke snapped his eyes open. 

Scrambling for his robe, he blinked his eyes slowly to adjust to the light streaming through his unshuttered windows. The bare walls of the cabin swathed in an almost unfamiliar yellow light.

_Did I oversleep again?_

“Sasuke, hello?” A low persistent voice beyond the door repeated.

“Uh, coming.” He replied, sliding on his grey house slippers. 

He opened the door just a crack to peer through, the vibrant sunlight an unwelcome assault. He felt half in, half out of his dream state still. 

“Kakashi, what is it?” He muttered, not opening the door further. The sun cast a glowing halo through the man’s styled silver hair. 

Kakashi tilted his head slightly, Sasuke could feel his bosses’ smugness in his grin at catching him so disheveled. When he didn’t instantly reply, Sasuke moved to shut the door again.

“Ahh,” Kakashi’s pale hand shot out to catch the frame, “but I think you’ll wanna be awake for this. You have a special visitor.”

He paused, “No offense but you’re not all that special.”

Affronted, Kakashi let go of the door and it slammed shut. “I could fire you, you know!” He called through.

“You won’t though!” Sasuke replied before turning back towards his bed.

“Fine, I won’t since it’s such a nice day. I’ll just let your brother roam the property. Perhaps I’ll invite him in as my own guest.” Kakashi’s voice faded as he moved away from the door.

_Damnit. Itachi hadn’t said anything about coming by._

Sasuke took in the state of the small one bedroom in front of him. A fucking mess. He hadn’t done his dishes in over a week, a small mountain of cheap plates and bowls and plastic chopsticks and...he didn’t wanna know what else was in there. Clothes littered the floor in a sacrilegious semi-circle around his bed, as if to ward off vampires. Or anyone who liked a clean house. 

He used to be relatively meticulous about his things. Growing up in a traditional family, he knew to respect his belongings and preserve the life they had in them with care. It used to be a sense of pride for him.

He didn’t know when it had gotten so out of control. 

But that didn’t mean he wanted his brother, of all people, to bear witness to his current inability to take care of his basic needs. 

_Of course, that asshole just shows up whenever it’s convenient for him. Probably just to gloat about his business and how proud Father is of him…_

Pulling on a relatively clean pair of black joggers and a miraculously unwrinkled cotton button up from the remains of devastation that was his closet, he let out a small sigh. All of his limbs felt heavy, as they always did nowadays. That wasn’t going to just let up, apparently, because his self-centered older sibling wanted to drop by to brag. 

The sunlight was surprising for the gloomy winters, and did a great job of highlighting just how little he could do in the few minutes he had.

So he grabbed a handful of trash bags from under the sink, and threw everything in them. He shoved the pile of bags into the closet and jammed the door shut with a click. With a quick sweep of his wrist, he threw the comforter over the mattress to give the appearance of being made. With a sigh, he figured the dishes would just have to wait.

_I’ll just try and keep the visit short, maybe he won’t even press to see my space…_

Sasuke didn’t bother to lock his door behind him, he rarely ever did. With how little activity this place saw, and with how likely it was to lose his house keys in his runs in the woods, he just didn’t see the point. 

As soon as he turned the corner, he heard the familiar mewl of his self-appointed shadow. The small black cat emerged from the stark shadow the sun cast on the other side of his cabin.

_Was it waiting outside all night for me?_

He shook his head, carefully stepping around the cat. He refused to feel guilty for the creature, it was its own doing, he rationalized. 

As he walked towards the parking lot where he assumed his brother to be waiting, assuredly leaning smugly against his shiny foreign car, he pulled his hair into a low ponytail. It must have only been fifty degrees, but in comparison to the chill that had beleaguered the state for months, it was hot. With his forward leaning stance and quick gait, a passerby would probably think he was on his way to a fight.

Which, for all he knew, he might be. It’s not like him and his brother were on the best of terms. 

He pulled the knot snug at the base of his neck, though the shorter layers towards the front of his face fell forward again anyways. 

Crossing the still damp and slightly steaming grass up the hill towards the lot, he looked up just as he heard a laugh as bright as the rare sun at his back. 

_That’s certainly not Itachi’s laugh…_

But the next one was, and he started quicker up the hill at the sound of his brother’s familiar almost-chilling baritone chuckle. The cat lunged to keep up. It was extremely unlike his brother to find anything humorous, let alone actually laugh about it.

Over the hill, he instantly found his answer. He felt his hackles raise.

The sun glinted heavy metallic in the parking lot, and the reflection from the parked cars didn’t help him keep his cool as his blood began to simmer.

That large, annoying dog and it’s equally annoying blonde owner were laughing _loudly_ with his brother of all people on the sidewalk. 

“Well isn’t this just precious,” he muttered as he approached, rolling his eyes. 

“Oi!” The blonde exclaimed as he noticed Sasuke’s approach, “Careful, Itachi, this guy’s an asshole.” He said as he grabbed a hold of the dogs’ collar, the fabric on the loose shirt he had on falling over his shoulder. 

_Was this idiot ever wearing a decent amount of clothing?_

His brother, in turn, raised a dark eyebrow at Naruto. Sasuke watched in frustration as his Itachi put his hand casually on the blonde's shoulder. 

_Itachi doesn’t like people, why does is he so comfortable with this dumbass? What were they talking ab-_

“Unfortunately, Naruto, I am well aware of my brother’s...demeanor.” Itachi rumbled in his oily smooth voice. 

_Great, my two biggest annoyances have teamed up._

Sasuke watched with conflicting simmering anger at his brother and a simultaneous glee as the blonde flushed red at the realization.

The man looked back and forth between the two as he made the connection.

“Oh, uh-“ the man stammered, moving backwards with a small step, “I guess, ha, you two do look kind of similar…” 

Sasuke just glared at him, hoping that he was channeling the usual chill of the afternoon air with his gaze. The sunshine suited this man all too well, bouncing off golden locks and absorbing into his tanned collarbone, and it was _not_ helping his mood. In fact, it made him itch to pull at his collar. He felt...uncomfortable and restless and it only served to frustrate him further.

“Excellent deduction skills, dumbass. Maybe you should consider a job as a detective. Now if you’ll excuse us.” He said pointedly at the blushing man, turning away towards his brother in hopes he’d take the hint. 

Itachi gave the man a small smile, extending his hand. It stood to send Sasuke over the edge, but he pulled his fingernails into his palms to keep his restraint.

“Hey, you bast-“ the blonde started back.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Naruto, and your dog as well. I hope we’ll see each other around.” Itachi drawled, ending the handshake in a polite dismissal. 

He felt _Naruto’s_ gaze dart between them both once more before leaving. He could hear the dog’s yips fade as they jogged back towards the cabins.

“Well, Itachi?” He crossed his arms, albeit a little petulantly, at his brother who had managed to piss him off at a record speed today. 

_Perhaps its the sun._

But Itachi was bent to greet the cat that had hidden behind Sasuke’s feet while the dog was present. He didn’t blame it, that dog was a nightmare. 

“Itachi, did you just drive all the way out here to befriend our resident clown and pet some animals? You could have just gone to a circus.”

“Little brother, I drove all the way out here because I wanted to see how you were doing. The animals are a minor perk.” Itachi spoke, not bothering to look up from the cat he was petting fondly. 

“If you keep petting it, it’s gonna want that all the time.” 

“Is that such a bad thing, Sasuke?” Itachi replied, finally looking up, his dark eyes hooded by the sunlight.

Sasuke scoffed, “What did you come here for, Itachi.”

Itachi stood, dusting off his knees. He didn’t respond, but turned towards the parking lot again. Sasuke followed, thinking about all the chores he had yet to get today since he slept in. 

_I was having that dream again-_

“Mother sends along her best wishes, and told me to bring these out to you,” Itachi held out several stacked plastic containers. “Some of that curry you used to like of hers.”

He reached out and grabbed the Tupperware, a slight frown on his face. 

“She couldn’t come here herself?”

Itachi sighed, brushing a long strand of hair from his own face. The look in his eyes had lost some of it’s usual superior gleam. Something about him just seemed...different. 

“You know it’s not that simple, Sas-“

“I don’t care. Thanks for the food. Is that all?” He bit, looking down at his feet. The sun was relentless at his back.

“I’m going to try and talk to him again before his next press conference. Mother already has tried, he’s just so s-“

Sasuke cut him off again, he didn’t have time to hear this. “Itachi, did you just come to apologize for Father? I don’t want to hear it until it comes out of his mouth. Thanks for visiting the prison they’ve sent me to, if that’s all I’ll-“

“Prison? This place is beautiful. And…” Itachi smirked as he let his sentence trail off, goading him.

“And what, you smug bastard.”

“And there seem to be plenty of...lively tenants to keep you company.” He finished, the gleam back in his eyes.

“Tch,” turning away this time, “he- they only serve to remind me of the penance I’m supposed to be serving by being hidden away out here.”

“I think you may come to change your feelings. Give it time. I promise to talk with Fa-“

“Bye, Brother.” He interrupted pointedly. “Can you leave word with Kakashi the next time you plan to visit? I have a schedule, you know.”

“Hmmm...perhaps.” Itachi hedged, as Sasuke made his way from the parking lot, effectively ending their conversation. There was a fury of emotions piling up that he didn’t have time to deal with right now. 

_Of course Itachi would just show up and stick his fucking Uchiha nose in my carefully arranged...ugh._

He was frustrated. And hot. 

_Fuck this weather._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Dancing Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! I said this was a slow burn right? Cuz I meant SLOWWWWW. I have so many things that need to happen before they get anywhereee at all, so be warned!

Chapter 4

_Dancing Shadows_

They had made relatively quick work of the utterly filthy, previously abandoned community room. 

With the help of Genma (Shikamaru was certainly not the extrovert of the lazy duo. Naruto rather enjoyed how selective the man was about who he talked to, but it was no help to him at the moment.), Naruto had been able to wrangle the help of several other tenants to revamp the space. It had taken a few days to coordinate schedules, with Naruto’s new job starting and an unexpected snow storm delaying everything. Not everyone had agreed or been able to make it, but any amount of help was welcomed. 

They were an odd crowd, but Naruto supposed he couldn’t really be one to talk. He felt at ease immediately with Kiba, his other closest neighbor, and the pink haired girl, Sakura. They had both come barging in with big personalities, enough to keep up Naruto’s own huge persona. 

Hinata was a little bit more, reserved. He couldn’t really understand where her skittishness was coming from, but she was nice enough and had helped out a lot. 

Tsunade, the older and...scantily clad...woman, was another story altogether. 

“That bitch literally didn’t do anything, she just took the six pack of beer I brought and sat down in the corner,” Sakura scoffed, sidling up next to Naruto. They both gazed on at where the woman rested, passed out, against the wall on the floor.

“Is this...normal for her?” Naruto asked, taking the broom from Sakura and handing her a beer from his own stash. He’d gathered from their short spurts of conversation throughout the day that Tsunade was something of a mentor for Sakura. Tsunade was quite motherly to Sakura, he’d acknowledged, when she was conscious.

She took it with one strong forearm, still gazing over at the sleeping blonde woman. 

“It comes and goes, but she’s actually more often the life of the party before she gets this wasted. She’s going through some stuff.” 

“Feel that,” Naruto conceded, raising his beer in a mock toast. He looked on at the rest of their small crew. Shikamaru had already stopped moving long ago, and Genma finally set down his own rag to join him in the corner. He wasn’t entirely too sure what Kiba had been doing this whole time, but at least Leeloo had had another dog to play with. 

She was wrestling with the Kiba’s Shepard, Akamaru, at the moment. Akamaru looked like he was winning, but it was hard to tell from their rambunctious movements.

Sakura narrowed her sharp green eyes at Naruto, “I know I’ve only known you for like,” she glanced at her watch, “three hours, but I hope you can talk to me if you need.”

He shrugged her off. “No, it’s nothing. Just figuring out some stuff from back home- err, where I lived before this.”

She didn’t look convinced, but allowed it to pass. 

“I’d better go get her to her apartment, or she’ll sleep here all night.” Sakura sighed to herself before moving away towards the floor-draped Tsunade.

Naruto felt a hand clasp on his shoulder, and he turned. Kiba smiled down at him, all 6’2”, broad shoulders and sharp-toothed grin. Secretly, Naruto wondered if he felt comfortable around Kiba because of his face tattoos- it seemed to get him the same unwarranted attention that Naruto’s scars got him. 

“Well, man, it’s like six o’clock now. I think we did good for a day’s work, what d’ya say?”

Naruto smiled, they really had, “Mhm, thanks so much for your help-“

Leeloo bounded back up to them both, wagging her tail with a muddy Akamaru in tow.

Kiba released his grip on Naruto’s shoulder to throw his hands in the air, “Oh c’mon! Akamaru! You just got a bath man…”

The two dogs looked wholly unapologetic.

“Ugh, okay well, gotta go, Nart. It was nice meeting you, man. Let’s throw a lil’ grand opening community room party in here this weekend! I’ll get a keg.” Kiba exclaimed excitedly before setting his drink down and heading out. 

Genma opened the door just then, letting Kiba out before poking his head back in. The evening had grown dark quickly and the chill streamed in from the open door.

“I think we’re all gonna call it for the night, Blondie. You gonna stay?” He asked, toothpick dangling from his lips. 

Naruto stood, leaning the broom against the wall. Suddenly his tank top and joggers didn’t feel warm enough, the seep of the cool evening humidity raising the light hairs on his arms. 

“Nah, er- I mean, yeah. I’m just gonna finish up, not ready to call it a night yet. Plus it’ll be done if I just get through this last hour, I think.” He replied, rubbing his arms. 

Hinata scurried out through the open door, waving a pale hand in goodbye behind her. Genma watched her go and shook his head lightly.

“She’ll warm up to you. Takes her a minute.” Genma laced his arm around Shikamaru, snaking his hand around to steal the lit joint from the man’s mouth. He assumed the two of them had been friends for a long time, they seemed very close.

“Hey-“ 

‘Ah, shush, I rolled this so I should get first dibs. Anyways,” he said, turning back to Naruto,” don’t stay up too long, Blondie. Ghosts ‘n all.” Genma finished, waggling his eyebrows as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. 

Shikamaru shoved Genma off him and stole the joint back, but not before adding, 

“Don’t listen to him, Naruto. We’ll see you this weekend?” 

Naruto laughed, albeit a little nervously before agreeing. He waved what he hoped looked like an exuberant goodbye as the two shut the door to the affronting chill. 

It was suddenly very quiet in the community room. The light they had set in the corner instantly eerie, and the shadows danced more than they had moments ago.

He let out a steadying breath, reaching around the corner to where he had remembered a light switch being in the daylight.

_There’s no such thing as ghosts, Naruto, Genma was lying…_

Beside him, Leeloo let out a small whine, it echoed off the concrete floor.

“Oh, c’mon, I need you to be the strong one here. Don’t chicken out on me.” He pleaded, as the lone bulb hanging in the center of the room sparked to life. A dim life, but better than just the lamp in the corner.

He really didn’t have that much left to do. They’d all but cleaned everything, and moved some new cozy furniture in as well. Sakura had quite the knack for making a large, empty space feel homey. He liked that about her. He wished she hadn’t left, now that he was in here with his thoughts...and possibly spirits. He couldn’t be sure which he was more afraid of. 

He tried, unsuccessfully, to push the memory of the tumultuous day he’d had yesterday out of his mind. It had eaten at him since the phone call. 

_“So you think you’re finally rid of me?” He’d said, hissing at Naruto through the phone._

_“No, we talked about this- I. I can’t do this right now, I’m at work-“_

_“I know that, it’s the only time I can ever get a hold of you. You hide from me and ignore my calls and MOVE to the other side of the state-”_

_“It’s not like that, I miss you- I just- I wanted-“_

_“When can I see you?” Was the last thing he’d heard through the phone before he’d lost the call._

Even in the city, the service wasn’t that great. He knew not returning the dropped call would stand to piss him off more, but he hadn’t had a chance to call back since.

Iruka would have scolded him for picking up in the first place. His older (wiser) friend had been the first to insist he take as much space as he needed. Which was exactly why he hadn’t called Iruka since to vent. It wasn’t as if he could just ignore the hundredth call and just hope things would blow over…

He moved the broom lazily at the final cobwebs in the corner as the memory stirred in his brain, a large spider making a run for it as he moved the broom across the ceiling. A part of him wished he was that small, he could just hide in the creepy corner of a room unnoticed some days. 

Leeloo had had enough, and she skittered from the room when the wind from outside caused the cabin to creak loudly. 

_So much for the moral support!_

Naruto sighed, the dust swirling around him. He was quickly losing the fight to not focus on how spooky the place was in the dark.

He took another steadying puff of air, momentarily forgetting his phone call dilemmas as the ominous feel of the room took over. 

He could do this! He was an adult! So what if it seemed like every shadow moved twice as far as it should? And so what if the wind whistled through the back of the room in the exact way it did in every horror movie ever? At least this was enough to distract-

“What are you doing in here?” The voice came from directly behind him.

Naruto screamed. It was high and bordered on feminine and it filled the space as he turned to attack the ghost with the wooden broom. He thrust it sideways as he spun and almost screamed again when it made contact. 

_Oh my god I just hit a ghost with the broom. What if it calls for ghost backup? What if hitting it makes it stronger?!_

And then the ghost punched him in the face. 

Naruto flew backwards with a shout, his back colliding with the arm of the couch as his body fell backwards over it. The sting from the punch incensed his face, his body pumping with instant adrenaline.

It was too dark to see where he should hit it, but his instincts worked well enough in the low light that he darted an arm forward to where he felt it’s presence and pulled it forward by the shirt collar. 

He was glad he could grab it, all the horror movies he’d watched in his life had convinced him that ghosts were intangible. 

He rolled off the couch and onto the ghost, straddling it’s torso on the cold floor. It was much warmer than he’d expected a spirit to be, too.

It let out a gasp of air at the thud, and in the motion he caught the distinct whiff of soil and cologne and body odor mixed into one. 

_Why am I focused on what it smells like? It’s trying to kill you! Maybe we can reason with it after-_

He looked down at the ghost with a fist raised behind his head just in case, his vision clearing. 

“What. The fuck. Is your problem?!” The ghost was not a ghost. It was the groundskeeper. And he, impossibly, looked more pissed than ever. 

“You’re not a ghost!” Naruto yelled at the man underneath him, lowering his fist. The overhead light reflected off the man’s glittering dark eyes.

“Are you fucking crazy? Get the fuck off of me,” the dark haired man shoved at Naruto’s chest as he rolled out from under, sending him sideways. 

He felt the flush of deep embarrassment rise to his cheeks as he fell off the man’s chest onto the floor beside him.

Naruto covered his face in his hands. The chill from the evening was long gone, replaced by a heat in his bones. This day had been _so long_ and his normally infinite patience had been worn to the bone.

“Who the fuck sneaks up on someone in the dark like that?” He whined from behind his hands.

_Of course, of all people that could have walked in now, it had to be this asshole._

“If I’d known some fucking psychopath was gonna hit me with a BROOM I wouldn’t have even bothered checking on this place.” The man snapped back at him, rising from the floor.

Naruto lowered his hands quickly at that, glaring up at the man towering over him. The backlit room cast a glow over his shoulders and Naruto could still smell- no fuck that. He was pissed.

“What! I’m not the psychopath here! I was just cleaning up a space YOU were probably supposed to take care of! You!” He pushed up with both hands, putting his face back in the other mans. “You snuck up behind me!”

“A screaming infant could have snuck up behind your dumbass,” the man sneered back. 

“What is your **problem** with me?” Naruto was anything but cold now, a bead of sweat dripped down the back of his neck. The light flickered ferociously in the back, shadows swinging all around the room. 

“What is your **obsession** with making my life more difficult?!” The man bit back, shoving him backwards by the chest. Naruto could practically taste the anger coming from the dark-haired unreadable man as he stumbled backwards.

Naruto’s feet were nimble, though, and he lunged back forward with a push. He threw a mimicked shove into the man’s sternum, blowing air out through his nostrils. If they were gonna fight, he was going to go all out-

A door creaked open just then, and in walked the landlord.

“My, my Sasuke, didn’t expect to find my only staff member here.” Kakashi stood with one arm resting against the doorframe, his long torso illuminated by the floodlight behind him in the yard. His styled hair a wild silhouette against the night, he was rightfully intimidating. 

Naruto lowered his hands, loosing the white-knuckled grip he’d made of _Sasuke’s_ (apparently) shirt. 

Kakashi continued, turning his head between the two of them as he spoke, “I was unaware this room was in use anymore, let alone being used for a secret fight club-“

Naruto laughed nervously, “Well you know the first rule of fight club-“

“Oh my god shut up, moron.” Sasuke interrupted.

“Okay bastard you know what-“

Kakashi cut them both off, stepping fully into the room and towering over them both with a bored gaze.

“I think that’s enough getting to know each other for the night, don’t you think?” A falsely cheery smile spread over the man's face. 

Neither of the two younger men looked anywhere near ready to call it quits, the tension radiating across the dimly lit room. 

Kakashi wasn’t having it, though and laced long fingers over the top of Sasuke’s shoulder, effectively dissipating the mood with a firm grasp and forced eye contact. Naruto heard Sasuke let out a small breath. 

“Your brother is so much nicer than you-“ Naruto felt himself say, not quite sure why he was being so petty and childish. Something in him just reacted to Sasuke’s cold attitude, it was almost beyond his control. Almost.

“Oh that’s it,” Sasuke seethed, lunging forward again only to be pulled back by Kakashi yet again.

Naruto felt Kakashi’s curious glance but didn’t turn to look, his whole body tensing for another fight. 

“Naruto,” Kakashi spoke pointedly, “your dog is waiting for you outside. You both better head home before it gets too late.” He didn’t drop the false cheer to his tone, and made for an effectively decisive statement. 

He let out a scoff, before leaning over to grab his keys from where they lay on the floor. Two sets of eyes watched him slowly move to gather the rest of his belongings, every step like wading through the thick air of the room. 

Finally, he turned, still not looking at either of them and walked out into the night. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is the mystery person on the phone? Maybe we find out soonnn :)
> 
> I think I’m in the mood to write another short fic, and then I’ll get back to work on TitBoWL and this story. <3 Thanks for reading as always, y’all.


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